Artist juggles two mediums at Airport ArtWalk

SMO ‚Äî Santa Monica Art Studios is home to over 30 artists, painters, printmakers, photographers, sculptors and mixed media artists. Its artists will be some of those with work on display at the Santa Monica Airport ArtWalk, which takes place on Saturday, March 16, and offers an eclectic mix of mediums.

Abstract artist Michael Temple is one of the featured special guests participating in the event. Temple attended an opening where his work was on view, and he admitted to being excited about receiving such positive reactions.

Temple, aka Mike “Tempo,” happens to be the creator and percussionist of the popular band The Bonedaddys. One of the first American bands labeled as “world beat,” The Bonedaddys recorded six albums as well as having a performance for PBS catalogued into the Library of Congress. The band also played and recorded with Bo Diddley.

Throughout it all, Temple has been consistently painting for the past 30 years while keeping up with his performance schedule. On the road, at home, whenever he could grab a canvas, a paintbrush and squeeze in some time, Temple would create.

“We used to tour eight to nine months a year,” Temple said. “As a bandleader on the road ‚Ä¶ it‚Äôs tough ‚Ä¶ so much to do.”

In addition to playing with The Bonedaddys, Temple also plays with other music groups.

“On a recent two-week West Coast van tour with James Harman, I painted every day with gouache on paper in the motel rooms and even in the van with the canvas and palette in my lap and a plastic cup of water wedged in somewhere,” Temple said. “Gouache works because it dries so fast. The flip side is that I‚Äôve had to hide a few spots on motel bedspreads.”

His work has been a part of many exhibitions in cities across the country. To find out more about Michael Temple, see his website at miketempleart.com.

His exhibition runs through March 23. The Santa Monica Art Studios is located at 3026 Airport Ave. in Santa Monica, 90405.

The Santa Monica Airport ArtWalk will be held on Saturday, March 16, from noon to 5 p.m. For more information visit www.smgov.net/airportartwalk.